Portage Public Schools

North Middle School

Portage, Michigan

Portage Public Schools had two main goals for the new $30 million North Middle School: creating a 21st century learning environment and keeping the existing middle school operational throughout construction. The campus was already home to a high school, the existing middle school, and another multi-program facility. That same site needed to serve the new middle school and a new athletic events stadium. The project team developed a comprehensive master plan exploring various opportunities for the crowded campus. This plan eventually prompted the decision to make North Middle School's footprint as compact as possible.

The design of a three-story building emerged. Each floor is its own secure academic neighborhood—one for each grade level from 6th to 8th grade—equipped with specialized labs, classrooms, and common areas. Stantec was the primary design consultant for this project, leading four other firms and dozens of contractors. C2AE was a collaborative member of the team, providing structural engineering, civil engineering, and landscape architecture design.

Award: 2020 AIA Detroit Architecture Award